Light Left Behind
by Scherzo Barouque
Summary: Surprisingly, he was the Akatsuki's Top Cosmetician Stylist. [Hinata x Deidara]AUish OOCFIC
1. Chapter 1: Leaving

**Title**: Light Left Behind

**Chapter**: One - Leaving

**Author**: Yuume Li

**Genre**: General

**Rating**: T…to be safe, I guess.

**Disclaimer**: Don't own Naruto.

**Summary**: She had forced the kindness and light out of her body and soul for so long. Now, she is only darkness. Only one can unearth the treasure called Yang, and put it together with Yin. Who? Hinata x Deidara

**Main characters**: Hinata, Deidara, and the rest of Akatsuki

A/N: Please don't kill me, it is my first fanfic, and English is not my first language TT

And Hinata is 16 years old. Deidara is 19, because I don't know his real age, so I made one up.

I dedicate this first-attempt-fic to my lovely, lovely **Yumi-oneechan** (Yume-hime):D Oneechan rocks!

……………………………………………………………………………………………

**Light Left Behind**

She will leave tonight.

No one will suspect a thing. They thought of her as innocent and submissive, timid and shy. In their minds, she would never betray them and leave.

Leave her _friends_ behind.

Leave her _family _behind.

Leave her _long-time love_ behind.

It was just not in her nature to.

How wrong they were.

The one called Hyuuga Hinata, who had learnt to thrive in the shadows, who had kept on a mask that fooled so many for so long, who had long forced the kindness and light out of her body and soul…

Tonight, she will be gone. She will slaughter the ones who had supposedly brought her up into the world. Then pursue the greatness she had been coveting after for so long.

And no one will suspect a thing, because, after all, who has ever thought of the shy, sweet and demure heir as anything else?

………………………………………………………………………………………………

A forehead protector, with the symbol of the Leaf engraved upon it, was untied from her neck and put in her left hand. A sharp, bloodied kunai was gripped in the other. There was a steely glint reflected in her pale, lavender eyes.

She would not turn back. She would leave everything behind.

And with a slash of her knife upon the Leaf symbol, her ties were severed. No longer was she a part of this clan. No longer was she a part of this house.

No longer was she a part of Konoha.

_She was free at last._

…………………………………………………………………………………………….

She stood on top of a hill overlooking Konoha, the moonlight silhouetting her heavily cloaked figure. The village was silent and peaceful.

For now, at least.

When they had found out about the mass murder _she_ had committed…

She gave a dark chuckle. Chaos will definitely be present. She had left a note behind, in which her name was written in her sister's blood.

She had made sure that they would find it.

It was stuck onto her cousin's body, with a long bloodied katana. She licked her lips with satisfaction, remembering the way Neji had looked at her, surprised, only to find the silver katana positioned in her hands had already been thrust into his stomach, along with a few kunais.

He could have lived – really, he could have – but too bad the weapons had been dipped in a deadly kind of poison.

She had defeated the so-called 'Genius of the Hyuuga' in a matter of seconds.

It was the most accomplished murder.

She shook herself from her thoughts. With one last look at Konoha, she leapt off into the forest, her long hair flying in the wind.

………………………………………………………………………………………….

As Hinata went further into the forest, a large plant-shaped shadow appeared from behind. Two golden eyes glowed.

"**Interesting…I must report this to the Leader, immediately.**" A deep voice resounded.

And with that, the shadow rippled and disappeared.

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

End of Chapter One

To be continued

A/N: Like I said, this is my first fic…and English is not my first language. So please don't kill me…

And please leave a review :D

(I bet you all can guess who the plant shadow is…)


	2. Chapter 2: Reactions

**Title**: Light Left Behind

**Chapter**: Two – Reactions

**Author**: Yuume Li

**Genre**: General

**Rating**: T…to be safe, I guess.

**Disclaimer**: Don't own Naruto.

**Summary**: She had forced the kindness and light out of her body and soul for so long. Now, she is only darkness. Only one can unearth the treasure called Yang, and put it together with Yin. Who? Hinata x Deidara AU-ish

**Main characters**: Hinata, Deidara, and the rest of Akatsuki

A/N: Please don't kill me, it is my first fanfic, and English is not my first language T-T

And Hinata is 16 years old. Deidara is 19, because I don't know his real age, so I made one up.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

It was blood. The unmistakable stench…it was definitely blood.

And it was everywhere.

The crimson liquid stained the walls, the furniture and the floorboards.

Not to mention the mangled, rotting bodies lying about.

Kiba stiffened as he walked past the corpses, to make his way into the living room.

He had come this morning to pick Hinata up for their daily training sessions, only to find that she wasn't waiting outside for him. When he stepped into the compound to call her out, he was greeted by…this.

The wide-eyed Inuzuka stared down at the face of the prodigy of the Hyuuga Clan, and wondered what had happened during the night.

Neji's face was set in an expression of shock.

A katana had been thrust right into the middle of his stomach.

Kiba narrowed his eyes and grimaced. Then, he bent down to examine the weapon, only to find a folded piece of paper stuck right in the middle of the said katana.

Carefully, he withdrew the sword from the body, and proceeded to read the note. His eyes began to widen with each word he read.

A dazed, shocked look appeared on his face as he stood up, stuffing the piece of paper into his pocket.

Then, the Inuzuka ran as fast as he could, out of the compound, towards the Hokage's building.

_This can't be happening…Can it?_

……………………………………………………………………………………………….

"_To whomever that is reading this:_

_I have slaughtered the entire Hyuuga clan._

_It was for power, for revenge, and for acknowledgement._

_I have kept my strength hidden for the past few years of my life. What everyone had seen was a shy, kind and submissive girl._

_How wrong everyone was._

_I am far from that._

_I am hatred, I am darkness. _

_I am the one to betray you all._

_I am Hyuuga Hinata. I was the heiress of the Hyuuga clan._

_Heiress I am no longer._

_I am now the traitor; the one who planned all of this._

_Fear me. Hate me. Spite me._

_No longer am I a part of Konoha._

_-Hyuuga Hinata"_

Tsunade finished the note, and looked at the faces of the shinobi before her.

All wore shocked and bewildered expressions on their faces, with the exception of Shikamaru.

He only wore a knowing look.

Tsunade broke the silence by coughing.

"Well, what do you think about this?"

Immediately, jumbles of answers were heard.

"Hinata? _Hyuuga Hinata_? B-but…"

"No way…how can she…"

"Hinata-san? Are you sure?"

"H-Hinata-chan? But…she was so nice and friendly…"

"…Hinata…"

"But it's impossible!"

"Exactly! So why…"

And lastly -

"…I don't see why you all are making such a big fuss out of this. I suspected this for a long time already."

Everyone blinked, and turned to stare at the Nara genius. He sighed and scratched his head.

_Mendokusei…_

"Her smiles were never once genuine. Nothing about her was real. Her words of kindness and her gifts and offerings were merely tools used to fool you all. I suspected that from the beginning."

"You all have never stared into her eyes properly before. If you had, you would have noticed the dark, slightly manic look in them. She hid herself properly, by bowing her head. And she stuttered on purpose, too. Everything was done to fool us-"

"Why the hell didn't you tell us from the beginning then, teme!" Naruto snarled, frustrated. Shikamaru scowled at him, looking annoyed.

"Would you have believed me?"

_Besides…it wasn't my place to tell._

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"**Leader-sama…what do you think about this Hyuuga?"**

"…**She might just be worthy enough to replace Akasuna no Sasori…"**

A pause. Then...

"**Are you sure, Leader-sama?"**

"…**Zetsu. Do you not trust my judgement?"**

"**No, Leader-sama. I have always trusted it."**

"**Good. Send for that brat Deidara. Let him…test her a little. Give me the results once they are obtained."**

"**Yes, Leader-sama. Goodbye."**

"**And to you too."**

And with that, the conversation ended.

……………………………………………………………………………………………….

That's it for chapter 2. To be continued.

Pleaseleave a review. :D

**PS- Akamaru is missing in this chapter, I know. Don't worry, he's just sick…**


	3. Chapter 3: Seeing her

**Title**: Light Left Behind

**Chapter**: Three – Seeing her

**Author**: Yuume Li

**Genre**: General

**Rating**: T

**Disclaimer**: Don't own Naruto.

**Summary**: She had forced the kindness and light out of her body and soul for so long. Now, she is only darkness. Only one can unearth the treasure called Yang, and put it together with Yin. Who? Hinata x Deidara AU-ish

**Main characters**: Hinata, Deidara, and the rest of Akatsuki

A/N: Please don't kill me, it is my first fanfic, and English is not my first language T-T

And Hinata is 16 years old. Deidara is 19, because I don't know his real age, so I made one up.

Kill my writer's block. Please. Shoot it, or strangle it, I don't care. T-T

………………………………………………………………………………………………

'_Remember, brat…'_

Deidara sighed, and looked out of the window, his chin in his palm.

Now that Sasori was gone, everything seemed so…dull.

No more long, never-ending debates about art.

_Danna…_

_Why did you have to go?_

He stood up straight and looked around his room.

Sasori's belongings were still there.

'…_that no matter where you are…'_

His tools, his bed, his recovered ring, and even his spare Akatsuki cloak.

Not to mention that already-dried-up bottle of purple nail varnish.

_Danna is not here…_

…_but the memory of him still lingers._

"**Deidara-san.**" A deep and familiar voice brought him back from his thoughts.

The blonde spun around quickly.

"Zetsu-san…? What brings you here today…un?" Deidara replied, cocking an eyebrow towards the person standing near the door.

The plant-like being snorted, then scowled.

"**Leader-sama has a new mission for you."**

Deidara's ears perked.

Finally, there was something to distract him from his thoughts about his late master.

"Really, un? Tell me more then, un."

"**You're going to test your soon-to-be new partner…**"

The blonde froze.

_N…nanda…don't tell me…that they've already…chosen…_

"…**now, immediately."**

"…Who?"

'…_I will always be with you.'_

……………………………………………………………………………………………

Thud.

The missing-nin dropped onto the ground, blood leaking from his chest and his mouth.

Hinata smirked, and then sighed as she looked around her.

Many corpses were scattered on the ground.

_And yet…_

Another shinobi appeared behind her, growling.

"Y…You bitch! I'm gonna get you fer' killin' Shizuki-sama!"

He swung his blade forward, towards the Hyuuga.

…_they still come back…_

A slice was heard, followed by a loud scream.

…_they never learn…_

The last man fell.

…_do they…?_

Hinata withdrew the blood-stained katana from the person's chest.

…_Obviously not._

She smirked menacingly.

_Too bad._

……………………………………………………………………………………………….

From a distance away, Deidara whistled.

"Man, this girl is _good_, un. She took all of them down, without getting injured, un. And that was supposed to be the third-strongest missing-nin organization ever!"

"**Hn. They shouldn't have fought her, anyway. Those fools…I'm willing to bet that they fought her to prove that they're stronger than Konoha's shinobi."**

The clay-manipulator turned to look at Zetsu, who was beside him, looking downwards tentatively.

Both of them were sitting on a clay bird.

It's just too bad that one of them was afraid of heights.

Deidara snickered.

_Well…I guess he can't help the fact that he's a half-plant._

And plants stick to the ground, not to the sky.

"Yeah, un…they're fools, all right."

The bird swooped down.

_But…we aren't._

…………………………………………………………………………………………...

Hinata's neck prickled.

Someone was following her.

She could sense it without her Byakugan.

_Act casual. Don't let them know that you know they're there._

_Catch them off-guard._

_Then kill them._

She let her face relax into a small smirk, and continued her journey to Sunagakure.

_Wait for me, Akasuna-sama._

_I'm coming._

_I'm coming back._

……………………………………………………………………………………………….

Okay.

I know what you're gonna say.

THIS CHAPTER IS DAMN SHORT.

I know.

BUT…

I will update again today.

Or rather, tonight. (It'll be night, from where I come from.)

And I'm not quite fond of this chapter T-T

…It's so obvious that I can't write dialogue.

-sob-

Anyways, please leave a comment!

-Yuume

**PS- I need a beta-reader. Anyone want?**


	4. Chapter 4: Meeting him

**Title**: Light Left Behind

**Chapter**: Four – Blonde Moron

**Author**: Yuume Li

**Genre**: General

**Rating**: T

**Disclaimer**: Don't own Naruto.

**Summary**: She had forced the kindness and light out of her body and soul for so long. Now, she is only darkness. Only one can unearth the treasure called Yang, and put it together with Yin. Who? Hinata x Deidara AU-ish

**Main characters**: Hinata, Deidara, and the rest of Akatsuki

A/N: Please don't kill me, it is my first fanfic, and English is not my first language T-T

And Hinata is 16 years old. Deidara is 19, because I don't know his real age, so I made one up.

……………………………………………………………………………………………….

After a while, Hinata stopped walking, and leaned on a tree trunk, below the shade.

_Come out, whoever you are…_

_I know you're there._

Her right hand that was covered up by her cloak sleeve formed a seal.

_Byakugan!_

Pretending to adjust her knapsack, she slipped a kunai out of a compartment, and wrapped an exploding tag over the handle.

_One…_

She gripped the kunai tighter.

_Two…_

She slipped off her cloak.

_Three!_

"_Hakke: Ryu Kunai!_"

She jabbed the kunai into the soil, and formed the Dragon seal.

An intense amount of chakra flowed from her body into the weapon.

"_Ryu-Hebi-Uma-Tora! Kai!_"

In an instant, she leapt out of the way, and watched for the results of her half-finished jutsu.

A large explosion was heard. She closed her eyes

_Perfect…_

"_Kaze Ryu!_"

A violent wind appeared, tearing down the trees of the forest, and cutting the leaves and grass into dust.

The last part of her jutsu was complete.

The tornado subsided after a while. She looked around to see who got hit by it.

To her surprise, there was no one.

_Had I imagined everything…?_

_No...that is impossible...so how...?_

"Looking for someone, un?" A warm breath tickled her ear, effectively cutting her away from her thoughts..

Her back stiffened.

She narrowed her eyes and turned around.

"Who are you-Mmph!" Her face got covered with a pair of hands.

"_Don't worry too much…we're taking you with us, un…_"

……………………………………………………………………………………………….

A teleportation jutsu and a 'poof' later, they reached a small room.

"Mmph- Let me go, you bastard!" Hinata shouted, struggling to get out of her captor's grasp.

Deidara sighed, as she tried numerous punching tactics on him, only to fail.

"Ne…Zetsu-san, she's so troublesome, un…can you please..?"

"**_NO._** **She's your partner now. You're the one who's responsible for her, brat."**

Deidara's eyes twitched.

"In case you've forgotten, un, I wasn't the one who chose _her_- **AHHH! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING, YOU FREAK**!"

"Freeing myself, you idiot." Hinata responded calmly, straightening her fishnet shirt and patting her hair. This, of course, infuriated Deidara further. He cradled his injured left hand in his lap.

Apparently, she had bitten him there.

_Bitch._

Zetsu snorted.

"**Well-said, Hyuuga-san.**"

"Thanks." She paused.

'_This guy is _much _better than that blonde moron.'_

"Now, care to explain why you have kidnapped me?"

……………………………………………………………………………………………….

"Wait. You want me to join Akatsuki. As _his _partner." Hinata deadpanned.

The plant-man nodded.

"**Yes, Hyuuga-san. You are good enough to replace his previous partner's position…if that jutsu you performed earlier was an indicator…"**

She gave a thoughtful look.

"No."

Deidara's eyes bulged out.

"Hyuuga. Are you blind, deaf and in therapy, un? This is _joining Akatsuki _we are talking about. _You do not have a choice, un!_"

Hinata blinked.

"…Why do I have to be partnered with _you_?"

"_Dammit, Hyuuga! _Who asks this kind of questions, _un_? You already have no choice. So why bother asking, un?"

…_Why is he reacting so angrily?_

"…Because I'm curious, you moron."

Deidara gritted his teeth.

"Why you…Bitch!"

Hinata just looked at her nails.

"Hmm? Did you say something?"

He banged his head onto the wall repetitively.

"I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE, UN! Zetsu-san! I'm leaving her to YOU!"

And with that, he ran out of the room, sporting a large red bruise on his forehead.

Hinata and Zetsu blinked simultaneously.

"…What's his problem?"

Zetsu sighed.

"**His partner...died...a while ago. They were quite attached to each other**."

"…Oh."

A few minutes of silence passed.

"…Alright, then, I'll join Akatsuki. But on one condition…I need to visit somebody first." Hinata said, reluctantly.

The plant-man pondered for a moment.

"**Fine**," he agreed, giving in. "**But…may I ask who are you to visit?**"

"Me? I'm going to visit…Akasuna no Sasori-sama."

……………………………………………………………………………………………….

Naruto sighed.

It had been a long day.

Hokage-sama had told them that Hinata had killed her entire clan.

He didn't believe it at first.

But Shikamaru pointed out the facts to him.

That was when he truly understood Hyuuga Hinata.

He tossed and turned in his bed, unable to sleep even though dark circles were starting to appear under his eyes.

_First, Sasuke…_

_Now…Hinata…_

_All of my friends are starting to disappear…_

Just then, the doorbell rang. Groggily, he got up from bed and answered the door.

"Who is it – Kotetsu-san!" Naruto exclaimed.

"What are you doing here?"

Kotetsu wore a serious expression on his face.

"Sorry to interrupt your sleep, Naruto-kun. Hokage-sama has just informed us that Hyuuga Hinata has been classified as an S-ranked criminal, and a missing-nin."

"On top of that, reliable ANBU sources inform us that she has joined the Akatsuki. I was ordered to relay the information to you. Ja, Naruto-kun. I still have to inform the others."

And with that, the Chunnin disappeared.

Naruto blinked.

_Hinata…missing-nin…S-ranked…Akatsuki…_

_Why does this feel weird…?_

He snapped out of his reverie, and widened his eyes.

"HOLY SHIT, DATTEBAYO!"

…………………………………………………………………………………………….

xD

I just felt that ending the chapter here would be right.

Kukuku…

Ne…Hinata doesn't seem so 'dark' anymore, right…?

:sweatdrops:

Oops…

And…she's doing everything on purpose, just to annoy Deidara.

It's her way of 'revenge' against him. :3

I aim to make the next chapter 'darker'.

Please leave a comment!

-Yuume

PS-**I REALLY NEED A BETA-READER. **


	5. Chapter 5: Revealing

**Title**: Light Left Behind

**Chapter**: Five - Revealing

**Author**: Yuume Li

**Genre**: General

**Rating**: T

**Disclaimer**: Don't own Naruto.

**Summary**: She had forced the kindness and light out of her body and soul for so long. Now, she is only darkness. Only one can unearth the treasure called Yang, and put it together with Yin. Who? Hinata x Deidara AU-ish

**Main characters**: Hinata, Deidara, and the rest of Akatsuki

A/N: Please don't kill me, it is my first fanfic, and English is not my first language T-T

And Hinata is 16 years old. Deidara is 19, because I don't know his real age, so I made one up.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed!

……………………………………………………………………………………………….

She ran out of the room as fast as her legs could carry her.

"…_he is dead…"_

She shook her head rapidly.

"_Akasuna no Sasori…is dead."_

It wasn't possible.

_Hadn't he promised that he'd wait for her?_

……………………………………………………………………………………………….

He stomped down the corridor, frustrated.

That Hyuuga brat…the _nerve_!

Did she not recognize who he was?

He was the Deidara, the genius of Iwagakure!

And who was _she_?

Just some rookie missing-nin!

He rubbed his throbbing forehead, wincing.

_How…How dare she sass me, un!_

_For Danna's sake, I'm not her _mother!

Muttering curses under his breath, he proceeded to open the door to his room.

He was prepared to make a few voodoo dolls of that brat…

…_Suffer in hell…_

_Voodoo dolls _always_ work._

A huge gust of wind blew past him, messing up his hair and interrupting him from his thoughts.

Glaring, he turned around, only to find a trail of footsteps printed onto the floor.

…_Huh?_

_Who was that?_

Narrowing his eye, he followed the footprints.

A few seconds later, he reached a dead end.

_Someone's there…_

_Who?_

Upon closer inspection, he realized who the person was.

"YOU! What the hell are you doing…" His sentence trailed.

A girl with indigo hair was crouched in a corner, sobbing quietly.

……………………………………………………………………………………………….

She ran without stopping, even when she passed by a flash of gold.

_Don't stop, continue on…_

_Wasn't that what you always told me to do?_

Soon, she reached a dead end.

Perfect.

_Wasn't it?_

She slid down the wall, her face buried in her hands.

_Akasuna-sama…_

_You're not truly gone, are you?_

_Tell me the truth..._

Tears trickled down her face.

_Tell me the truth…_

Somebody was yelling at her.

_It's happening again, right…?_

_Akasuna-sama…_

The yelling stopped.

_You've broken your promise again…_

_So just…_

"Tell me the truth, then! AKASUNA-SAMA, TELL IT!"

Her sobs wracked her small frame.

_You liar…_

_Why did I trust you?_

_Sasori…_

_I miss you._

……………………………………………………………………………………………….

He blinked at her yell.

_Akasuna-sama…_

_Isn't that…_

_Sasori-danna?_

He shook his head to clear it from its thoughts.

Slowly, he bent down, until he was almost eye-to-eye with Hinata.

She was sobbing harder than before.

Hesitantly, he placed two fingers on her chin, and tilted it upwards.

He was met by milky, watery orbs.

His heart thumped.

_Why…_

_Why am I…_

"Who is Sasori-danna to you, Hyuuga…un?"

_Why am I doing this…?_

……………………………………………………………………………………………….

Something whirred in her mind as she cried.

_He _was talking to her.

And…

He was _touching _her.

_Huh?_

_What the hell is happening?_

_Why is he staring at me like that?_

"Who is Sasori-danna to you, Hyuuga…un?"

A gentle voice prodded her from her thoughts.

_Sasori…danna…_

_Who is he…to me?_

_A master?_

_A friend?_

_A confidante?_

_Or…_

"Akasuna-sama is…somebody I hold close…to my heart...the one to give me light…"

_Yes…that sounded right…_

A warm hand cupped her face.

_This…_

_This feels nice…_

_It's almost like him…_

_Is it him?_

_I hope…_

_You'll never leave me again…_

She closed her fingers around the hand.

And with that, she shut her eyes, and drifted into sleep.

……………………………………………………………………………………………….

I'm prone to doing short, probably cheesy and cliché chapters…

Argh.

Small case of writers' block + inability to write romance me at the moment.

Can anyone give me tips on how to write romance?

So far, I've been reading Shojo Manga to help me.

It's polluting my mind.

Fluff overload, I tell you.

Fluff overload.

…


	6. Chapter 6: Manicurists and Mood Swings

**Had the strangest urge to rewrite this chapter, so I did. Beware manicurist Deidara, with his ultimate cosmetician skills, and hyperactive Hinata who has crazy mood swings.**

………………………………………………………………………………………………...

Groggily, her eyes opened, and a salty scent drifted to her nose. She put a palm to her face and was confused at its stickiness. Then, she realized what had happened.

Her eyes dulled and shut themselves once more.

"Sasori…sama…" She murmured to herself.

"Hn? What did you say, Hyuuga?"

Hinata's eyes flew open. She sat up straight and swiftly turned her head towards the voice, nearly twisting her neck in the process.

A pair of jade green eyes stared back at her, startling the female slightly at how close they were to her own.

"Yo. Looks like you're finally awake, un."

Deidara stood up from the bed and walked to the window. Hinata took a look at her surroundings. She was lying on a mattress with a blanket over her. There were random objects like bags of clay strewn across the room.

"…Where am I?" She narrowed her eyes with suspicion.

The blonde sighed loudly.

"My room, and unfortunately, your room too." He turned around and replied, annoyance apparent in his voice.

"From now on, you are my partner. You _will_ call me…Deidara-danna."

Hinata let her body relax and fall back onto the soft mattress.

"Do I even have a choice?"

_Maybe I shouldn't have left Konoha._

………………………………………………………………………………………………...

"This is your cloak, your hat and your ring." The three items were passed to her.

"That's about it. Now just wait for Rei-sama's orders." Deidara told the bored Hyuga, who yawned sleepily in reply.

"Wake me up when that time comes…" She mumbled, before twisting her body under the blankets and closing her eyes.

"…Baka…you can't go to sleep yet, we still have to perform the Akatsuki tradition, un." He bent over and pulled the sheets away from her, causing loud protests which he thoroughly ignored.

"Fi-ine," She pouted and reluctantly sat up. "Just what is this tradition, anyway?"

Walking towards a drawer, the blonde pulled at the handle, and retrieved a small bottle from inside. He walked back to where Hinata was sitting and dangled the object in between her eyes.

"_Manicure and Pedicure_."

He could have sworn that her eyebrows had disappeared behind her fringe.

"…Huh?"

"A cosmetic treatment of the hands, fingers and toes… including trimming and polishing of the nails and removing cuticles, and corns." Deidara recited accurately from his memory.

Hinata gave him a skeptical look.

"I know what manicure means. Are you sure you can handle it, though?" She asked, her voice full of doubt. The blonde glared in reply.

"Of course! How do you think I maintained my position as _Akatsuki's Top Cosmetician_, un?" He boasted with slight indignation.

"With my impeccable taste in varnish colours and tints, and my artist's precision in applying-"

"Fine! Fine! I'll let you do my nails!" Defeated, Hinata sighed, and grudgingly put her two hands out.

Deidara smirked, and opened the bottle of nail varnish with a faint 'pop'.

"Don't worry…in my hands, you'll have the_ best_ set of nails in Akatsuki, un…"

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Hinata was _amazed_.

Her senpai had painted her nails with absolute precision, like he claimed. But the way he applied the varnish was what had wowed her the most.

He had smoothed the brush gracefully over each individual nail, like a painter at his full potential. How effortless and easy it seemed, when he had managed to make every stroke seem like a magnificent piece of art itself! The way his hands moved with such a rhythm, Hinata could feel her breath synchronizing.

The tip of the brush swirled and swirled, leaving trails of indigo-blue polish in its tracks, turning the once insignificant nail into a _masterpiece_.

_A masterpiece indeed, _she thought, as she admired her almost-dried nails.

"Well? Pretty good, aren't I?" Deidara's voice broke into her thoughts.

Hinata tore her eyes from her fingers to look at him, a slightly crazed look in her eyes.

"Oi! Where the hell did you learn how to do this! Teach me!" She demanded, shaking the male.

"Put – Me – Down!" He managed to choke out, before freeing himself with a tug and landing on her bed. Hinata fell to the floor, and crawled back up to face him.

"Ne! Ne! Teach me, Deidara-danna!" She smiled enthusiastically at him, making him blink. Then, catching her off guard, he pinched her cheeks hard.

"Itai---!" She wailed and fell backwards, rubbing her face while glaring at the attacker. "_Danna_!"

"Maybe another time," He replied in a flat tone, and turned around to face the window with his arms crossed.

_GEEZ._

A few seconds later, the clay-manipulator felt someone rubbing and thumping on his back repeatedly. He moaned loudly in contentment.

_Damn, that feels GOOD._

"Like that, Danna?" A mischievous voice drifted into his ears, and made him stiffen. "If you teach me _now…_"

"_SHUT UP!_"

_**Damn** you, Sasori-danna, for dying and leaving me with this brat._

Somewhere near Sunagakure, a person sneezed.

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Er…a few clues in this rewritten chapter. Those of you who were sad that Sasori died, you may rejoice. ;)

As for the whole nail-varnish thing…there's also a "clue" to Hinata's new fighting style in there. Yeah. That's all I'm saying. -.-;;

I'm so subtle, aren't I?


	7. Chapter 7: Makeovers

**Oraaa….I'm sleepy now. Good night, everyone. Wish me luck for the exams. Yumi-neechan, if I don't come back, don't bother looking for my corpse. Most likely it will be eaten by the Oni called Sensei.**

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It was a matter of seconds when Hinata found herself being roughly pulled out of the room by her roommate. He looked slightly frazzled, and was muttering things about being late for something.

After walking down the corridor for a while, the two found themselves in a large Hall at the East end of the hideout. Hinata glanced around furtively. Then, at the same time Deidara did, she spotted a blurry, buzzing figure in front of them.

"A…Ah! Rei-sama! Sorry that we are late, un!" Deidara bowed nervously, and placed his right hand on the Hyuga's head. He forced it downwards, making her do a retarded kind of movement, much to her embarrassment.

"Bow!" He hissed to her, gesturing with his head to the stoic Akatsuki Leader. She swatted his hand away and did a deep and slightly exaggerated arch, with her right foot pointed in front of her left and one of her hands tucked behind her back, while the other hand was placed just in front of her chest. Tilting her head up slightly, she smiled at the translucent figure with red eyes.

"A _pleasure _to meet you, sire," she said, using a falsetto complete with a million-dollar smile. Deidara groaned, while she simply glared at him.

"_What is the meaning of this? _Have I not done it _right_? Is my position _incorrect?_" She voiced dramatically, invoking an unnoticed raised eyebrow from the Leader. The blonde smacked his forehead in a frustrated manner.

"No! Kami…You do it like this, un!" He grabbed her arms roughly and forced them by her sides. Holding them in place with an elbow, he proceeded to push down Hinata's back with his chin. Being unwilling to lose to her senpai Hinata fought and struggled against his firm hold.

"_Ahem._"

Freezing for a second, they both looked up from their 'battle'. Hinata blinked sheepishly while Deidara wore a look of horror. Leaping away from his teammate, he bowed once more and tried to explain.

"R..Rei-sama! Please forgive us! We did not--"

"No explanations necessary, Seiryu." The Leader interrupted Deidara. "I am here to assign you two a mission, not to stay for petty chit-chat."

He stared at the female hard.

"Gyokunyo, please refrain from…troubling your partner. Understood?" Hinata nodded numbly in assent, to the voice full of authority.

The leader of Akatsuki turned back to face Deidara.

"The mission is to capture a Jinchuriki. The three-tails will do. Head to the Hidden Mist Village, and _remember to disguise yourselves without a Henge_." With those words, he disappeared into thin air. Deidara sighed in relief.

"So…can we go? Like, now?" The Hyuga beside him inquired impatiently. He nodded his head in an absentminded way and walked out of the hall, with Hinata following closely behind.

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"So…how are we supposed to disguise ourselves, then?" Hinata bounced on the soft mattress of her bed, looking at her already packed bag and back to Deidara, waiting for a reply. His eyes suddenly glinted, and the Hyuga had a strange sense of foreboding.

"Leave it up to me, un."

After all, he was the best stylist in Akatsuki.

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He opened a wooden cabinet door and pushed out a huge trolley full of tools and bottles of different shapes and sizes, and made his way to the bathroom. Hinata followed him curiously, and got pulled into a chair in front of a mirror. A towel was whipped over her, startling her slightly.

…_What's he going to do this time?_

Fumbling around one of the trays, Deidara found a few clips which he clipped onto the edge of his pants.

"We don't need to wash your hair, 'cause that's too troublesome, un. Let's go straight to the styling." He muttered more to himself than to Hinata, and pulled out a pair of hairstyling scissors from the trolley. Then, he clipped up two sections of hair and began trimming layers. With a little quirk here, and a little slide there, the hair became wavier.

When he was satisfied with the back portion of her hair, he stared at her long bangs thoughtfully.

_They need to go._

So he did the same thing he did a while ago; he trimmed off the bangs slightly, and the rest of the fringe. Sticking a tongue out in concentration, he clipped another section of the fringe behind and layered the unclipped parts carefully.

After some time, he was done with the haircut. He whipped the towel off Hinata, who was staring in the mirror with concentration.

"Ta-da!" Deidara grinned into the mirror, proud of his work. Hinata touched her hair tentatively.

"I…don't look like me," she finally managed to utter out.

"That's the point," the male deadpanned, "Except I made you look _good_, didn't I?"

Hinata nodded her head in awe, running her fingers lightly through her now slightly shorter hair.

"Damn, you're good."

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"Now! Time for the clothes!" Deidara announced happily, and dragged Hinata to the front of a large oak door beside the bathroom. Staring blankly at it, she wondered what the heck that was for.

Her partner fumbled with the lock for a moment, and pulled open the door at last. She nearly gasped at the sight awaiting her.

"So – Many – Clothes!" She squealed ecstatically, before running into the huge closet past a bemused Deidara. He followed her inside, and found her taking down a pile of outfits hanging by a rail. He quickly ran to stop her.

"No, no! You don't choose the clothes…_I_ do," he informed her smugly, watching her scowl and pout at him. Then, he stared at the mound of clothes on the floor and something caught his eye.

"…But _this_ will do!" He exclaimed, picking up the outfit. He ushered the bewildered but pleased Hyuga into a fitted changing room and handed her the clothes, waiting eagerly outside for her to change.

A few minutes later, she emerged from the small room. Deidara clapped his hands, pleased with the result.

"Black is really your colour, no?"

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"A---and….we're done. Here are your contacts." The stylist yawned loudly, and passed a small box to Hinata. She frowned and pocketed it.

"What about you? Aren't you going to change yourself?" She asked him, curious. Deidara shrugged and grinned, and pulled off his hair band, letting his thick blonde hair flow freely. He tied the hair into a lower ponytail that _still _covered his left eye, and walked over to his drawer and pulled out a pair of dark sunglasses, along with an elaborate black shirt and a pair of white Bermudas. As quick as a flash, he 'poofed' into his new outfit while whipping off his forehead protector and stuffing it into a pocket in his shorts.

"And there you have it," he said nonchalantly to the awestruck female.

_OhmykamihehassuchagoodfashionsensehelookssogoodandyummyandgoddamnitIcan'tbelieveheismyteammateandI'mlikesohappyrightnow._

Her thoughts were broken by Deidara thrusting a necklace in her face. "Take off and hide your Hitai-ate, and wear this instead."

She accepted the accessory hesitantly and took off the blue cloth, to replace it with the delicate platinum-silver chains of her necklace. Deidara grinned wildly, and put his hands on his waist.

"Mission: Start!"

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Longest chapter ever….xD

More Fashionable chic Deidara goodness for you.

-cough- Very, very slight Deihina in this chapter…xD for example, Hinata's last (very long) thought.

Err…will proofread this tomorrow…too tired for now…ja…good night…-snore-


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